Species
Sixteen shark species observed in the waters around Gibraltar. Tap any card to open the full field-guide entry.
Angel Shark
Squatina squatina
A flattened, ray-like ambush predator that lies buried in sandy seabeds.
Basking Shark
Cetorhinus maximus
The world's second-largest fish — a gentle giant that filter-feeds on plankton.
Bigeye Thresher Shark
Alopias superciliosus
Identified by enormous upward-facing eyes and a tail nearly as long as the body.
Blue Shark
Prionace glauca
Slender, indigo-blue oceanic shark — one of the most wide-ranging vertebrates on Earth.
Common Thresher Shark
Alopias vulpinus
A powerful pelagic shark with a sickle-shaped upper tail used as a hunting weapon.
Copper Shark
Carcharhinus brachyurus
Also known as the bronze whaler — a robust, coppery-grey requiem shark.
Great White Shark
Carcharodon carcharias
The largest predatory fish in the ocean — apex predator of temperate seas.
Longfin Mako Shark
Isurus paucus
Rarer cousin of the shortfin mako, with extremely long pectoral fins.
Nursehound Shark
Scyliorhinus stellaris
A handsomely spotted catshark of rocky reefs and seagrass meadows.
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Carcharhinus longimanus
Stocky open-ocean shark with distinctive white-tipped, paddle-like fins.
Porbeagle Shark
Lamna nasus
A stocky, warm-blooded mackerel shark that thrives in cooler Atlantic waters.
Sand Tiger Shark
Carcharias taurus
Fearsome-looking but docile coastal shark with prominent ragged teeth.
Shortfin Mako Shark
Isurus oxyrinchus
The fastest shark in the ocean, capable of bursts over 70 km/h.
Small Spotted Catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula
The most commonly seen shark on Gibraltar's reefs — small, slender and harmless.
Smooth Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna zygaena
The largest hammerhead found in temperate waters, with a smoothly curved head.
Spiny Dogfish
Squalus acanthias
A small, schooling shark with mildly venomous spines in front of each dorsal fin.
Sources & Citations
Data compiled from peer-reviewed and authoritative open sources. Last reviewed 2026.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Conservation status for each species.
- The Shark Trust — Species Database
Biology, ecology and identification.
- FishBase
Maximum sizes, distribution and life-history data.
- Florida Museum — International Shark Attack File
Documented species behaviour around humans.
- Nature Gibraltar / Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society
Local marine fauna records around the Strait.